Wire fence



(No Model.)

A. ,Wsslm -Wire Fence. 10.242,725. Patented/June 7, 188|.

I ai; J 1 l dg c l 'a' V ll .i I

WITNESSES: INVENTOR; i

MM ATTORNEYS.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABNER WESSON, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,'725, dated June 7, `1881.

`Application tiled March 19, 1881. (No model.)

' an improved fence of the class in which the v AIO posts are made of iron and the body of iron wires, that are held in slots formed in the sides of the posts.

The improvement consists in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aside view of a lengthwise section of my fence, and Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections of the sameon lines x x and y y, respectively, of Fig. l. Fig. 4t is `an edge View of one of the ties, showing it prepared for application to the wires. Fig. 5 is a side view ot a portion of one of the fence-posts with wire in cross-section, one slot or slit being shown open to receive a wire and protecting-wrapper of pewter, while another wire and its wrapper are shown clamped in the slot by the closed tongue b.

`The letter A indicates the posts, B the wires, and C ties for connecting the wires vertically. The posts A are constructed of thin, narrow wrought-iron plates, whose lower ends, a., are pointed to adapt them to be driven likestakes, which is a matter of great importance in respect to easy, rapid, and economical erection of the fence. To enable the posts to successfully resist this lateral strain without being displaced or inclined from the vertical, points a are twisted a quarter round, so that the transverse plane of the latter is at right angles to that of the body or upper portion of the posts, as shown. The posts A are slitted diagonally at different points on one edge, thus forming a series of open slots to receive the wires B. The slits are made by a suitable machine in the process of manufacturing the posts. By

thus slitting the posts a series of iiexible tongues or points, b, are formed, which project upward andoutward, as shown in Fig. 2. Afl ter the wires have been inserted in the slots these tongues are forked inward and the slots thereby closed, as hereinafter more fully de-` scribed.

The ties C are oblong wroughtmetal plates,

and they are provided with a series ot' holes,

d, corresponding in number and local relation with the wires B. From each hole d a slit extends outward to the edge of the tie. The lower ends of the ties are bent laterally, thus formin g flat feet of six inches or more in length.

In erecting Athe'fence the posts A are first driven ,like stakes, by means of a maul or other suitable implement. lllhe wires B are then firmly secured at one end of the line of fence and stretched alongside the posts, and successively raised and dropped into the slot in the posts A, and a piece of sheet lead or pewter, c, wrapped around each wire B at the points where it rests in the slots. The wires being then subjected to due tension, the points or tongues b are forced inward by giving them a light tap with a hammer, thus causing it to compress the lead or pewter e around the wires and tightly clamp the latter. The operation is quickly effected and the wires securely fast-l ened without abradin g their tinned surface, so that they are not liable to rust at the points of contact with the posts. The means of fastenin g areintegral portions of the fence, and hence cannot be separated or become detached therefrom, which is advantageous both in transporting and setting up the fence, and also in `Vthe matter ot' economy, since the fastenings are made by one and the same operation of cutting the slits from the wire. To enable the tongues to hold the lead or pewter pieces more securely, I prefer to notch the edges of the slit, as shown in Fig. 2, thus forming blunt teeth that bite or indent the soft metal. Changes of temperature will occasion contraction and expansion ot' the wires, so that they alternately tighten and slacken throughout the length of fence. Hencein other wire fences abrasion ofthe tinned surface of the wires necessarily results from such movement, which cannot occur in this case owing to the interposition of the lead or pewter between the iron surfaces. The ties C are next applied, which is effected by turning outward (by means of pliers) the tongue or portion of the metal separated by the slit, Fig. 4, which opens a slot of sutlicient dimensions to receive the wires B.

IOO

The ties being placed in position, the edges thus turned outward are bent back to their original position, thus closing the slot and securely attaching the ties to the Wires, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The feetfof the ties are set in the earth to the depth of six inches or a foot. The holes in the ties are of slightly less diameter than the Wires, so that the latter will be tightly clamped and the ties thus held securely in place thereon. The ties C prevent sagging or separation ot' the wires and hold all ot' them the same distance apart, and impart strength and rigidity to the fence as a whole.

Thus constructed, the fence is cheap, strong, durable, and may be erected easily and rapidly.

In some cases it is desirable to form the fence-panels of planks or boards, and to provide for such contingency I punch in each post a central rowr ot' holes, g, Fig. 2, so that the planks or boards may be -attached by means ot' nails driven through the holes; In such case, however, the posts are driven With their flat sides parallel to the line of the fence, in-

vall as shown and described.

stead of at right angles thereto, and the ends of the planks are lapped one on another, the overlapping one being nailed to the inner one and the latter to the post.

I am aware that metal fence-posts have been provided with slots to receive Wires 5 also, that pieces of tin or other semi-rigid sheet metal have been secured in such slots by means of tongues or flanges formed on said pieces themselves, so that v the Wires might slide on the said pieces Without abrasion; but these features I disclaim as forming no part ot my invention.

What I claim is- The combination, with the metal posts having slits and tongues, as specified, and the wires B, of the soft-metal pieces e, which are wrapped around the wires and secured in place by the clamping action of the aforesaid tongues,

A. WESSON. Witnesses:

AMos W. HART,

SoLoN C. KEMON. 

